Riding the Rails by randommama
by Men At Work Contest
Summary: Bella embarks on a cross-country train trip with friends, where she meets Edward, her fuckhawt porter. Instant attraction between the two leads to a red-hot romance.


**Riding The Rails**

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Bella awoke to a constant knocking on her cabin door. She glanced at her bunk side clock to find that it was barely 8 am, which to her was an ungodly hour to be waking while she was on vacation. She buried her head under her pillows, choosing to ignore whoever was on the other side of her cabin door, hoping that they would take the hint and go away so she could go back to sleep. _Who knew you could sleep so well in a train car even if it's on a small bunk?_ The smooth ride of the train over the rails and the lull of the subtle engine noises was quite conducive for Bella to sleep, much better than when she was actually home in her own bed. She briefly wondered why she hadn't thought of this on all those nights she had suffered from insomnia.

The knocking hadn't ceased and Bella groaned in protest. "Alice, please go away. I'm actually getting some sleep now, let me enjoy it for another hour or two or three," she called out to the person on the other side of the door, assuming it had to be her best friend and one of her traveling companions, Alice.

It would be just like Alice to barge in on Bella sleeping, eager to start their day, even if Bella was nowhere near ready to. Even before they began living together, Alice would barge into Bella's room at her dad's house to help Bella get ready for school. Alice was like a second daughter to Bella's dad and he willingly welcomed her intrusions, letting her into the house each morning before he left for his shift at work. Of course, Alice couldn't exactly barge in now with Bella's cabin door locked.

Alice was a little energizer bunny, always up at the crack of dawn full of energy, despite how late she went to bed the night before. Bella was in awe of her friend, as she wasn't so lucky to be a morning person. Bella assumed that Alice was probably waking her so that the group could begin exploring the train. Alice, no doubt, was the first to rise and subsequently woke everyone else in their little traveling party. Bella assumed that Alice had just now made her way to her.

"Uh, Miss Swan, good morning ma'am. Obviously, I'm not Alice. I'm the porter for this car, Edward. I'm terribly sorry to have disturbed you, but according to my schedule, there's an 8 AM wake-up call that was requested for your cabin. I am just following through on the orders."

Bella immediately shot up, however, once she heard the sexy male voice from the other side, which definitely didn't belong to Alice .

"Damn! It's too early! I did not need a freaking wake up call. If I wanted to be up at this time, I could easily have set my clock," Bella muttered to herself, or so she thought.

"Miss Swan, I am sorry that I've disturbed you; however, I do have it right here on my schedule for today, Miss Bella Swan, Cabin 13, personal wake-up call promptly at 8 AM. I doubt that there's been some mistake," the sexy voiced porter called out.

"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't a mistake, if I know my friend Alice. Well, I'm up now. Thanks." Bella spoke to her cabin door thinking that she had placated the porter and he'd leave. Even though she was awake, she still wasn't ready to be up and start her day, so she planned on going right back to sleep. She'd meet up with her friends around lunchtime.

"There's something else Miss Swan. I'm to deliver the message that your traveling companions are waiting for you in the dining car and they'd like for you to partake in the complimentary breakfast with them. I'm supposed to be sure that you make your way there before the breakfast ends at 9:30 sharp, and am here to personally escort you."

_Oh Fuck! It was just like Alice to order me a babysitter. I don't know why I let her talk me into taking this trip with her. She's just going to run every single aspect of it._ I swear I'll have to get back at that woman for all her hijinks. Bella internally groaned knowing that her plan of sleeping in was permanently foiled. She laid her head back down with a dull thud on her pillow, stared at the ceiling above her, and let out a soft growl in frustration. Of course, Edward heard her from the other side of the cabin door.

Knocking ensued once again followed by the porter's sexy voice, "Miss Swan, are you alright? Listen, I'm sorry you're not too happy at the moment. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. If you'd like I can relay a message to your companions for you if you really don't wish to join them."

A smile graced Bella's lips. The sexy-voiced porter was willing to help her out. She made a mental note to tip him well when the opportunity arises. "Um, yeah, that would be great. Tell them I've got a headache or something, and it would be best if I slept it off for a bit. Thanks again." She thought she had effectively dismissed the porter when he knocked once more.

"Um, Miss Swan? Again, I'm sorry to be disturbing you; however, while I'm here, I do need to stamp your ticket and collect the detachable portion for the day. It's standard procedure to keep track of all the passengers on the trip manifest. Could you please grant me a moment?" In truth, Edward could have postponed this for a later time in the day, as long as it was done before the train pulled into the next station, but he was curious to see the woman behind the sexy voice in the cabin.

" Oh, okay. Um, just a minute." Bella answered back as sweetly as she could, but her face, on the other hand, showed her annoyance.

She immediately bolted out of her bunk to open the door when she realized she couldn't very well answer the door in just her thin, pink camisole and matching panties, which was what she wore to bed the night before. She knew she also shouldn't keep the sexy voiced porter waiting as he probably had other things he needed to do, so she wouldn't have time to get more properly dressed. Besides, the sooner she got rid of him, the sooner she could go back to sleep. She decided to remain comfortable and grabbed her Korean silk robe that was on the edge of her bunk and threw it on. It was the only other piece of clothing she had readily available and unpacked from her suitcase, and while it didn't really cover her much more, it would just have to do for the moment.

She walked into the little closet that was suppose to count as a bathroom for her cabin, and took a quick glance in the mirror. She tried to tame her wild hair from sleep with her fingers, as she had yet to unpack her cosmetics bag. She noticed that there was a complimentary tray of mini-toiletries on the sink counter, so she grabbed the bottle of mouthwash and took a swig, grateful that she wouldn't have to answer the door with morning breath. She wished she could've been able to dab a little make-up on, possibly just add a touch of lip gloss to her lips, but she didn't have time to go rifling through her luggage, as the porter knocked again.

"I'm right here waiting Miss Swan, whenever you're ready."

_What a persistent fellow. Oh well! It's just the porter, anyways. He's just doing his job. He's probably seen worse._ Then Bella's thoughts briefly wandered to dowdy old women with green gunk on their faces wearing nothing but a shower cap, an old bathrobe, and fuzzy slippers answering the door for the sexy voiced porter. She shuddered as she quickly shook that image from her mind. Then her thoughts flitted to how this porter looked for she hadn't met him yet, wondering if the sexy voice actually matched his looks.

Bella stepped to the door, and tiptoeing, took a glance through the peephole. She got a glimpse of the back of the porter's head as he was turned around greeting some other passengers that were passing by the narrowed halls of the train. The shock of coppery-bronze hair she saw got Bella curious. She opened the door in a flash as the porter turned to face her. Bella gasped to herself as she took pause at the sight of the very handsome man standing before her. He was very tall, lean, with tousled hair, and model-like features. His angular jaw line had a hint of scruff, and he had long lashes with the greenest eyes that Bella had ever laid eyes on. His uniform was fitted tightly against his toned body, he looked fuckhawt, as he stood before her with his clipboard and clutching his porter cap.

She unabashedly stared at Edward, her very attractive porter, and silently thanked her lucky stars. This porter certainly missed his calling, according to Bella, as he was far too hunky to be working as a mere porter. He was more attractive than any train worker she'd ever seen, and any other man in general, she concluded. Bella felt a wave of desire wash over her and pool right between her legs, dampening her pink, lacy panties. Fantasies starring the fuckhawt porter were running through her mind.

Bella was currently between boyfriends. She had just broken things off with the latest loser before she started this cross-country train trip. She was having the worst luck attracting the right type of guys. Her last one was such a loser that she didn't even bother to start a sexual relationship with him. She hadn't yet met anyone who was worthy enough to give herself to completely, so she had to take care of things herself. She couldn't help but think that this totally hot porter in front of her could be just the one to eradicate those nights of her having to pleasure herself. She mentally gave herself a high-five for having decided to wear what she had on to answer her door, and she no longer felt the need to change to more appropriate attire. Normally, she would have had an aversion to being so under-dressed, but Alice had told her that this trip was a way for Bella to start anew. She was following her friend's advice now.

Edward also took a minute to take in the equally attractive brunette standing before him. She was the stuff his fantasies were made of, a petite body, with curves in all the right places, a naturally gorgeous face with delicate features, and the deepest brown eyes that he had ever seen. To top it off, she was clad in a skimpy, silky, black floral robe that came down mid-thigh, giving him an excellent view of her long, lean legs. She was tiny, but he couldn't help thinking that she'd fit with him quite nicely. He had never had a passenger grant him entrance to their cabin dressed the way she was. She didn't leave much to the imagination, and Edward couldn't help the fantasies that quickly flitted through his mind. He was internally glad that Miss Swan had no aversion to being way under dressed.

Edward visibly swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to formulate words, as the sight of the beautiful Miss Swan rendered him speechless.

_Where are my manners? I know better than this. I should say something instead of just staring at this beautiful woman._ Edward struggled internally with himself.

However, all that was on Edward's mind right now was trying to will his cock to stand down, as he could feel his erection already straining in his pants and betraying his intentions. It was very unprofessional of him to be sporting his erection before Miss Swan, but he had lost that battle. He shifted himself, as it had gotten quite uncomfortable inside his pants, thinking that he had done it subtly without Bella noticing, before he stepped through the door . He quickly buttoned up his suit jacket to try and mask his excited state, ran a hand around his collar, then loosened his tie, feeling suddenly heated as he entered. _Did she have the heat turned way up inside her cabin?_

A sly smirk formed on Bella's lips as she noticed the porter staring right back at her, and the little adjustment he needed to make due to the sudden, visible bulge that formed in his pants. Her eyes grew wide and she instinctively licked her lips as she took in the size of the bulge before he hid it by buttoning up his uniform jacket. The action didn't escape Edward's notice, he too licked his lips, thinking about what it would be like to taste hers and how much he wanted to.

The two of them stood just inside Bella's cabin door, staring at one another, and in awkward silence. The tension was thick in the room between both of them, until Edward finally found his voice.

"Uh, good morning, Miss Swan. Again, I'm Edward, the porter for this car. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." He bowed like a good gentleman before extending out his hand for Bella to shake.

Bella reluctantly offered her hand, and he took it in his outstretched one, but instead of shaking it, he brought her hand up to his lips and gave it a soft peck. The moment his lips connected to her hand, Bella felt a spark of electricity travel from her hand and spread throughout her body, sending warm tingles down her spine and overwhelming her. She quickly tried to pull her hand away; however, Edward seemed reluctant to let her hand go. Bella cleared her throat and nodded towards their hands, and only then did Edward release it with a sly smile.

Edward politely apologized, "I'm sorry, Miss Swan. Please excuse me."

Bella gave a soft giggle before she added, "Um, it's alright. Call me Bella. You don't need to be so formal around me. I bet you greet all your passengers that way, huh? It must be a good way of earning tips."

"Um, no ma'am," Edward watched Bella cringe at him calling her ma'am. "Uh, I mean Miss Swan... Bella. The railway trains their employees to treat each and every passenger specially. My greeting was reserved for beautiful ladies like yourself, but I've never really used it on any passenger before you. I'd never found a passenger that quite met the criteria yet, until now that is." With that, Edward gave Bella a panty-dropping smile.

Bella blushed at his words, and subtly made sure her panties were still intact. _This fuckhawt porter is flirting with me. He really is._ Bella internally gave herself another high-five. It always felt good when a handsome guy showed interest in her.

"Uh, so.....you need to see my ticket, right?" Bella needed to move this along. Every second she spent with Edward, in the enclosed space of her cabin, was a second closer to her throwing him down on her bunk and having her way with him. Boy, did she want to have her way with him. It wouldn't exactly be prudent, however, to molest the nice, albeit fuckhawt, porter on the first day of her trip. It might make for a very uncomfortable trip. Alice was probably due to appear at any moment, wondering what was taking Bella so long.

Edward caught himself gazing at Bella intently once again, and mentally chastised himself. All his mind could really focus on were his fantasies of her in this enclosed space of her cabin, throwing her down on her bunk, and ravaging her mouth and body. She was bound to notice his instant attraction for her, and would, no doubt, make things awkward between them for the rest of her trip. He couldn't have that. He should just perform his duties. The sooner he was out of her intoxicating presence, the sooner he could shake her and his fantasies from his mind, and the sooner he could go relieve himself from his straining erection. He really needed to take care of that, it was already becoming way past uncomfortable.

"Uh, yes....yes please. That's why I'm here."

"Okay, it's in my suitcase up there," Bella pointed to the luggage rack on the wall across from her bunk. "Give me a moment." Edward nodded for her to go right ahead.

She walked the few steps over to the luggage rack and proceeded to reach up and try to grab her case. Since she was tiny, she needed to stand on her tiptoes to even reach the handle for her suitcase, as she tried to pull it down. The case was heavy and she was having difficulty.

Edward watched Bella's outstretched body as she struggled to pull the case down. Her position allowed for her robe to hike up the back of her legs, and the more she stretched out, the more her robe inched closer to giving him a view of her rather robust behind. His erection got impossibly harder in his pants. He needed to help poor Bella out, in order to help himself out.

He shuffled up behind her, his body brushing against Bella's back sending both their bodies into overdrive with want and need. "Geez, where are my manners? Please let me get that. I should've realized....I should've taken it down for you in the first place. I apologize for not thinking too clearly. How did you manage to get this up here anyway?"

Bella squeezed herself out from the space between the luggage rack and Edward's body, the close proximity being too much for her to stand, before Edward pulled her suitcase down to the floor.

"Uh, no need to apologize. It's okay. I should've asked you to get it for me. I'm just so used to doing things myself. I didn't put it up there, obviously. I couldn't even manage to get it down. Jasper helped me when we boarded last night." Edward's face fell minutely at the mention of the other man's name, but picked right back up as Bella went on to explain that Jasper was her friend Alice's, boyfriend.

Bella became a bit chatty, as she tended to do when she got nervous, while rifling through her suitcase pocket to fish out her ticket. Edward enjoyed hearing more about Bella and her friends she was traveling with. From what he extracted from Bella's ranting, this trip was a graduation gift to Bella and her friends from Bella's parents, and it was a way to get Bella's mind off the recent troubles she had with her now ex-boyfriend, Tyler. It was taking Bella an unusually long time to find her ticket, and she kept relaying more details about what she had gone through with Tyler. Edward wasn't sure if Bella really felt the need to vent all of this information to a complete stranger, or she just didn't realize what she was doing. Edward was glad, though, that Bella felt comfortable enough to confide in him.

As Bella continued to talk, Edward gathered that Tyler was sort of a loose canon, and Edward scowled as Bella voluntarily told him about the day Tyler almost ran her down with his van. It was the same day that Bella kicked him to the curb. Tyler claimed it was accidental, that he would never intentionally hurt her because he cared about her; however, Bella, her parents, and her friends weren't so convinced. The next day, Bella and her friends were on a plane to New York, and now they were making their cross-country trek back to Washington, by train, hoping that the whole Tyler business would be taken care of by the time the trip was over. Edward couldn't help but feel protective of Bella, in light of all he recently found out. He vowed to keep her safe while she was on her trip, and he was going to make it his personal mission that Bella forget all about the bad experience she'd had with Tyler while in his company.

"Oh my God!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, shaking Edward from his own thoughts.

"What's the matter? Can't find your ticket? Don't worry about it. I can always come back another time." Edward said sincerely, looking forward to having an excuse to return to Bella's cabin and hoping that she'd be just as scantily dressed the next time.

"No. I just forgot. It's not in my suitcase...." Bella then picked herself up and walked the few steps to the little set of drawers on the opposite wall of her bunk. She opened the top drawer and produced her ticket. "That's why I couldn't find it. I left it in here last night before I went to bed, so it would be easier for me to find. The last thing I wanted was to be looking for it when I needed to produce it." Bella finished with a soft chuckle to herself.

"Oh." Edward simply answered, looking and sounding a bit disappointed.

Bella couldn't quite decipher Edward's expression, but she ignored it and continued on. "Well, I did sort of lose it anyways. I swear the sleep I get on this train is just too good. It made my head all fuzzy when I awoke, but I guess that's too be expected since last night was the first good night sleep I'd had in a while."

"Oh?" Edward again said, however, this time sounding curious.

"Um, yeah. The bunks are quite comfortable actually, and the engine noises and the smooth ride....." Bella paused as she noticed Edward shift uncomfortably. His thoughts had drifted again to his fantasies starring Bella. A sly grin graced Bella's features as she knew that the shift was due to the problem he had within his pants. It was such a boost to her ego knowing that she could affect him in such a way.

"Uh..." she continued after a beat. "It doesn't matter. Anyways, I must be keeping you. You probably have some more duties, and other passenger might be looking for you. I'm so sorry." Bella then handed her ticket to Edward.

Their fingers brushed against one another during the exchange, sending new waves of desire coursing through each of them. Edward was internally torn. He really wanted to spend more time with Bella, but he desperately needed to take care of his straining erection, and although having Bella take care of it would have been ideal, it wasn't promising since they had just met. Besides, he wanted to court her, sweep her off her feet, and be granted the opportunity.

_Who am I kidding? I want her any way I can get her. Although, immediately trying to jump her bones might not bode well._ Edward thought.

Bella blushed when her fingers slightly touched his. He could see that she was feeling slightly embarrassed by her body's obvious reaction to him. Seeing Bella's heated cheeks was all the confirmation Edward needed that she was just as attracted to him as he was with her. He made up his mind to ask her out on a date. Edward knew, however, that he needed to be cautious with her, not only because of her recent bad experience, but also because of his job. While the railway didn't exactly have a no fraternization policy in place, Edward knew that the railway greatly frowned on their employees becoming involved with passengers. It wasn't really ideal anyways, to become involved with passengers, as they came and went sometimes very quickly. Edward had many female passengers interested during the course of his time with the railway, and he always kept his distance. He always walked the delicate balance between ignoring the interested women completely, and flirting just enough so that he could earn better tips. That was until he met Bella, with Bella things were different.

Edward had Bella's ticket in hand, and began studiously looking it over. An idea popped into his head. He pretended to be work on it, checking it against his passenger manifest, when in actuality he was copying down as much information he could gather, without being too noticeable and making it seem like his behavior was borderline stalkerish, which it was.

Bella looked on anxiously, curious as to what exactly Edward was doing with her ticket. She thought he just needed to stamp it and collect his portion, probably for a passenger count. She rather liked the idea that Edward was looking into her travel plans, trying to start something more between them. However, the shy, insecure girl that she usually was crept back in and made her think that Edward was just probably doing his job.

After Edward thoroughly memorized and copied every bit of information he could gather from Bella's ticket, he spoke. "Bella, don't worry about keeping me from anything. There really isn't anything too important. I'd rather spend my time with you." Edward was blatantly flirting again, figuring Bella enjoyed it, and then he gave her one of his panty-dropping smiles again.

Bella's confidence grew again, and she quirked a curious eyebrow at her would-be suitor. "Oh, is that so? Then I guess you were checking out my ticket thoroughly so you can better spend time with me, not because you were doing your job...hmmm..."

At Bella's words, Edward cleared his throat and flushed at being caught red-handed, because that was exactly what he was doing. He didn't think Bella would actually call him out on it. This girl piqued his curiosity even more. He immediately turned to the page of her ticket that he needed for today, pulled out his stamper from his jacket pocket, stamped it, collected the detachable portion he needed and tucked it securely on his clipboard, then returned his stamper back in his pocket making sure that Bella saw he was doing his job, not what she had alluded to. He quickly added, "No, no...not at all, Bella. I was just checking to make sure everything is in order. Please don't think that I was trying to insert myself in your trip plans."

Bella gave him a pouty look, while Edward looked sheepish. "Darn! I actually rather liked the idea of you being a large part of my trip plans. I figured that you might actually make this little vacation of mine more worthwhile." Bella once again felt emboldened to be more forward with Edward. He seemed different from all the rest of the men she had known, although she realized that she really didn't know him too well at all.

On the other hand, Bella gave him a good idea already about her life, when she got nervous looking for her ticket and couldn't find it, she became way too uncensored and chatted him up about things he probably didn't care about. Although, she was a bit embarrassed by it, she had to let it go, it actually felt good for her to vent all she said to a complete stranger. She was hoping that Edward wouldn't be a stranger any longer. She definitely wanted to get to know him better. She knew there was definitely more to him than just his good looks and gentlemanly, polite ways.

Edward was the most polite man Bella had ever encountered, apart from Alice's boyfriend, Jasper. She always admired Jasper's southern gentleman persona, and envied Alice tremendously because of the perks she received because of it-doors being opened for her, chairs being pulled out, holding the packages for her when they went shopping. Jasper treated Alice right, like she was the most precious thing to him, and the both of them were so in love. Bella wanted that, and she couldn't help but hope that maybe she could find that with Edward, despite the circumstances surrounding their meeting. Bella couldn't help but think that going on this trip might be fate.

Edward inched closer to Bella to hand her back her ticket. He, too, had felt emboldened by Bella's words. He spoke mere inches from her mouth, his tone full of lust. "So, is that what you'd like? You'd like us to spend more time together? I think that can be arranged."

Edward gazed intently into Bella's eyes awaiting her answer. His green eyes bore into her brown ones, and Bella felt as if everything in the world stood still and it was only the two of them now.

Bella ran a finger down the front of Edward's chest, the length of his jacket. She answered, her voice low and raspy, equally exuding lust, "Well, Edward, you're very attractive and I find you intriguing as well. I suppose it's rather forward of me, and I'm sure I'm not the only woman that has ever proposed to get to know you better, but I really would like to, if it's even possible. Hopefully, you could make some time for me. I think that you might like me as well."

As soon as the words were out of Bella's mouth, she gasped out loud, and retreated from Edward. It wasn't like her to be so forward. She thought that maybe she was taking the confidence thing that Alice had advised her on a bit too far. She didn't want Edward to think that she was another one of those porter groupies who was trying to gain Edward's attention, and make him feel like he's obligated to pay her some mind since he didn't want to take a hit in his tips. She was sure that Edward must experience it a lot because of how attractive he was.

She stumbled upon her words to try and explain herself, "Um, Edward, please....don't....don't get the wrong idea. I like you, I really do. But I didn't mean...I just...Alice wanted me to try and be more open on this trip because I....I had closed down after the whole Tyler thing....and well, I...I shouldn't have been so forward. I know you must get that a lot in your line of work. It's so unlike me. I'm just....oh...I don't know. I...I..." Edward moved to silence her with his finger.

"It's alright, Bella. I like the idea of us getting to know one another better," Edward assured her before handing her back her ticket which was still in his hand

Their fingers touched slightly again and both of them felt the spark of connection. The air around them seemed to have electrified, and before either one knew what was happening, their lips fiercely smacked against one another. They heatedly kissed, both ravaging one another's mouths, hungrily seeking more.

Edward's tongue darted out from between his lips, eagerly seeking entrance into Bella's sweet mouth. Bella willingly granted it, and in turn, she was able to relish the feeling of her tongue in his hot mouth. Their tongues mated and they both could not get enough. Edward pulled Bella closer, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, fitting her curves into his body and deepening the kiss. Bella brought her arms around his neck, one of her hands reaching to muss the soft hair at the back of his head. Bella's ticket and the clipboard that was in Edward's hand were dropped onto the floor and forgotten.

Bella couldn't help but feel that everything was right in the world. She would happily stay in his arms kissing if she didn't need to take a breath.

She had never experienced a kiss like this. Her thoughts were a muddled mess, a combination of her conflicted emotions and her mind being clouded by lust.

_Oh my God! I'm totally making out with my fuckhawt porter. God, this guy knows how to kiss. I have to be one of the luckiest girls. Shit! I don't want to ruin this. It'll be hell if something happens and we're stuck on this train together. Oh, what will Alice say? Here I am making out with the first hot guy I've met. I think I even want to go further. But, I can't just jump his bones, I'm no slut. Oh, he smells so good! He tastes even better! I wonder what other talents Edward possesses. God, is it wrong of me to not want this to end? Sheesh, what must he think of me? Damn, I could just go on kissing this man. I should thank Alice for bringing us together._

Edward and Bella stood, in the middle of Bella's cabin, just kissing and enjoying the feel of their mouths melding with one another. They stopped on occasion to take a breath, but one would always pull the other back in for more. Time was passing them by, and Edward surely had other places to be, duties he was neglecting, but he couldn't seem to care at the moment. He was content being in Bella's arms kissing as if they hadn't been kissed for an eternity.

Bella was about to take things further, her body not thoroughly satisfied with their mouths mating. She wanted more. She wanted to explore what was underneath the uniform. She was about to unbutton Edward's suit jacket when they heard knocking on her cabin door and Alice's voice float through from the other side.

Alice sounded stern and annoyed. "Isabella Swan! How dare you keep us waiting in the dining car? I know that you don't usually like to eat breakfast, but you could've at least joined us. Are you still sleeping in there? I should've known that despite the wake-up call you'd still manage to send the porter away." Bella and Edward both giggled to themselves at Alice's words. Bella was also glad that Alice hadn't just barged in and caught her kissing Edward.

"You are sleeping in there, aren't you? Or you're pretending to. I suppose we should be happy that you're finally getting some sleep. I told you that the train would be soothing and cure your insomnia. Maybe I should come in. Can I come in?"

Edward immediately separated from Bella, not wanting her friend to catch them in the compromising position. He smoothed out his uniform then bent to retrieve his discarded clipboard and Bella's ticket. He was able to give Bella one last chaste peck before Alice walked in, finding the door unlocked.

"Good morning, Miss Brandon. I was just leaving. Bella, I'll leave you to your friend," Edward said as he casually made the few strides to the door, but paused inside the open door frame, and added, "Bella, I'll definitely be catching you later. You should really try and catch breakfast in the dining car before they close up in preparation for lunch. The passengers have always said good things about their breakfast menu. Bella, please don't hesitate to give me a call if there's anything, and I mean anything at all that you need. You ladies have a good day." With that Edward gave Bella a wink, and he saw himself out.

Bella gave Edward a small wave goodbye and knowingly nodded to him before he left her and Alice alone. She didn't miss the double entendre of Edward's words. She looked forward to seeing him again, and possibly continuing their kissing session.

Alice looked upon the exchange between Bella and Edward, stunned. She took in Bella's appearance, her swollen lips, mussed up hair, and the blush on her cheeks. She then glanced back at Bella's cabin door that Edward had just left through.

"Oh, okay. I know what's happened." Alice said with a sly smirk.

"Oh?" Bella said innocently. "He gave me the wake up call and he came to collect my ticket."

"Um, sure, Bella. Don't think I missed how gorgeous that porter is, and the way he looked at you. I think we're skipping breakfast. You go get dressed, and tell me all about it." Alice said pushing Bella into the adjoining bathroom.

Bella touched her swollen lips and giggled softly at the memory of kissing Edward. "Oh, Alice, if you only knew."

~XXXXXX~

After leaving Bella's cabin, Edward half-heartedly performed the rest of his duties, distracted by thoughts of Bella. He immediately had to retire to his quarters after their passionate kiss and take care of the problem within his pants. He took a cold shower, then with thoughts of Bella and their passionate kiss, stroked himself until he released, finally sated.

He hadn't gotten a chance to ask her out on an official date and he was eager to see her again. Hoping to catch her in the dining car eating breakfast with her friends, Edward made his way there after his shower. He was disappointed, however, as he wasn't able to find her there, and her friends had already dispersed. He wandered back to her cabin, but he heard a few different voices behind the door, so he walked away not wanting to intrude on Bella and her friends.

Over the course of the day, he tried to catch Bella. He made several stops at her cabin, but quickly changed his mind about knocking because he didn't want to seem too eager. She might've not even been inside, as most passengers never really confined themselves to their cabins. He visited the dining car a few times as well, hoping to catch her there possibly eating with her friends, but had no such luck. He briefly wondered about her health, since he hadn't seen her have anything to eat the whole day. He seriously thought about bringing her a tray from the dining car to her cabin, but then again figured her friends would've taken care of her. They seemed to be really good friends, having taken this trip with her just to help her get over the whole bad Tyler experience.

Whenever he got a chance, he would stroll through the other cars of the train, hoping to spot Bella, but still he had no such luck. It was now nearing the end of dinnertime and he hadn't seen her since their encounter that morning. He began to worry. His mind immediately brought insecure thoughts to the forefront.

_Maybe I shouldn't have kissed her like I did. Maybe it was too fast, too much for her, too soon after her terrible relationship experience. I mean we just met. What was I thinking? She had reservations. I already ruined things before they could even get started. Damn cock! I always am too eager. I probably scared her away, that's why I haven't seen her since. She's been avoiding me. Damnit, the last thing I wanted to do was ruin her trip. It sounded like she really needed this escape. Oh my God! What if her friend Alice told her to stay away from me? That it wouldn't be good to start something between us considering that she's a transient passenger? But, oh, she was into the kiss. She wanted to kiss me just as much as I wanted to kiss her. What's going on? I wish I could see her, we need to talk. I still want to take her out on a date. Hopefully, I haven't screwed up my chances._

Edward mentally scoffed at his thoughts. He refused to be deterred by his insecurities. Bella was obviously attracted to him, that much he could guarantee. There was no reason that they couldn't make things work. He didn't want to give up on this chance. He had never felt a stronger connection with anyone then when he first laid eyes on Bella. With a newfound determination, he decided to go ahead and visit her cabin once more.

He was passing through the dining car on his way to the car that housed her cabin when he was halted in his tracks by a vision walking in the opposite direction. It was Bella, wearing a stylish mini- trench coat, and high heels. She was just heading to a table with her friends, about to settle down for dinner. She hadn't noticed Edward at the opposite end of the car visibly staring at her.

_Oh my God! This girl is going to be the death of me,_ Edward thought. Bella was looking stunningly beautiful in her outfit, and her hair fell around her shoulders in soft waves. He couldn't help but wonder what she was wearing underneath her little trench. She had some makeup on, but she still looked natural as it wasn't piled on her face. Edward grew hard at the mere sight of her, and grew impossibly harder once he saw Bella throw open her coat and he got a glimpse of her short black mini-dress underneath. Edward stood by the door gawking at Bella, his mouth open, his thoughts increasingly clouding over with lust, and there might have even be some drool spilling forth. Edward swiftly swiped a hand at his mouth, just in case he was drooling.

Rosalie, another one of Bella's friends, noticed Edward staring at Bella first, and then pointed him out to Bella and the rest of the group. Bella blushed at the attention, and Edward looked sheepish as the group all turned towards him.

"Well, Bella, there's your porter friend you'd been going on and on about all day. You didn't run him off the train after all. As a guy, I must say that he looks like he's got it as bad for you as you do for him." Jasper commented.

Alice added excitedly, "He does still look very smitten, Bella. See, I told you, there was no need for you to worry. You should go talk to him. You've been missing him all day."

Bella made to get up, but Edward was already at their table introducing himself. Bella flushed as she heard his smooth as silk voice spread out through their table.

"Good evening, everyone. Bella, Miss Brandon, and...." With that the rest of the table introduced themselves to Edward. After the introductions, and Alice insisting that Edward called her Alice, Edward continued, "Again, I'm Edward, the porter for sleeping car 2. I hope you've all had a wonderful experience on the train so far."

"Yeah, we know." Rosalie interjected, causing Bella to blush again.

"Well, that's a good thing to know. It's a pleasure to make all of your acquaintance. Have your experiences been satisfactory? If any of my fellow porters have been lacking, let me know, and I'll be sure to straighten them out." Edward gave one of his panty-dropping smiles, and Bella felt her panties dampen from its affect. God, what she wouldn't give to be alone with Edward right now.

Bella's group all said that everything on their trip had been amazing so far and Edward continued to make pleasantries with the group. He hadn't addressed Bella directly yet, but Bella was happy that he was getting along with her close friends, although she barely spoke much. Edward noticed that they had yet to order their dinners, and he didn't want to interrupt any longer. He just wanted to make a good impression on Bella's friends, since they seemed an important part of her life.

"If you all don't mind terribly, I was wondering if you'd please excuse Bella for dinner." Bella looked up from the napkin on her lap, where her eyes had been trained for a while. "I'd appreciate it very much if she could have dinner with me, if she doesn't disprove. There are things I'd like to discuss with her."

"Oh, yeah, we don't mind, go right ahead." Alice encouraged.

Edward lent a hand out to help Bella up from her seat, which she gladly took. He led her to a private table for two where he pulled out a chair for her, and then they enjoyed a great meal and fantastic conversation. As an employee of the railway, Edward was able to get some fantastic privileges in the way of extras for their meal. Edward watched fascinated as Bella ate strawberries with Nutella for dessert, growing more aroused with each bite.

They had so many things in common, and got along excellently. It just seemed that they were made for each other. Both Edward and Bella greatly enjoyed each other's company.

Bella's friends, for the most part, ignored their own meals to keep watch over Bella and Edward's budding romance. They could see that Bella was thoroughly enjoying herself and that made them happy. Bella was well on her way to putting the bad experience with Tyler behind her, which was the whole purpose of the trip. Alice knew that something would spark between Bella and the handsome porter. She just felt it when she spotted him as they boarded the night before, and she was determined to help things. It looked like they didn't need much of Alice's intervention.

Bella waved good-bye to her friends as she and Edward finished and allowed Edward to walk her back to her cabin. They strolled hand in hand through the various train cars before arriving at her cabin door.

"Omigosh! Edward," Bella gasped. "I forgot that you were probably still on duty. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to keep you from your duties. I don't mean to distract you from your job. Geez, the other passengers will be mad that I've monopolized most of your time. Oh, you might lose out on tips, which I'm sure would upset you. I didn't even think.....I....should've known better than to have kept you. I'm so sorry...." Bella mentally berated herself for monopolizing Edward just because of their mutual attraction. She certainly didn't want to be detrimental to his career.

Edward once again placed a lone finger on her lips to stop her rant. After he made a move to remove his finger and she opened her mouth to speak again, Edward crushed his lips to hers, effectively keeping her silent. He had wanted to kiss her again the whole day.

After they broke apart to catch their breath, Edward reassured Bella, "Bella, like I said earlier, there's nothing I'd rather be doing or anything that's more important than spending time with you. I'm allowed to have dinner and enjoy it, you know. I must say, I definitely enjoyed it, especially when you began to eat those Nutella covered strawberries."

Bella blushed at the mention of her fetish and Edward wagged his eyebrows suggestively at her before continuing, "There are other porters on duty. We tend to help each other out. I've certainly covered for a few of them enough times. Besides, if I was really needed or there was anything pressing and needing my attention, I would've gotten paged. See?"

He produced a tiny black pager from his pocket, explaining, "This is tied into every cabin in the car I'm assigned via an intercom system. If any of the cabins call, I'm immediately notified. All the other porters are also programmed in and can contact me if necessary. Obviously I haven't gotten paged yet, so your concern isn't necessary. It's one of the reasons why I took this job, the flexibility it offered. As long as I performed some set tasks each day, the rest of the time is pretty much mine to do with as I pleased, unless I need to entertain a passengers' needs. Believe it or not, the railway actually encourages us to give some extra attention to special guests. It's a good way to make extra tips, and it bodes well for the railway. I am just doing my job, as I consider you to be a very special guest." Edward ended his little talk by kissing Bella again before she could even formulate a response.

Bella's mind was put at ease, and she opened her cabin door and backed into her room, never breaking the kiss. They stopped just inside the door as Edward hesitated. He was asking permission with his eyes, and Bella granted it with hers. They were already so in tuned with one another that no words needed to be spoken. Their strong attraction for each other was evident, and they both seemed to want to move things further.

Bella only briefly thought about the fact that she was going to give her virginity to Edward. Even though she had just met him, it didn't bother her. Things felt right with Edward from the very beginning, which was what she hadn't felt with any of the guys she dated before him. Was she actually dating him now? It didn't matter, the only thing that did was that she and Edward were mutually attracted to one another, and she felt more comfortable than she had with any other man.

She deftly relieved Edward of his suit jacket, while he pulled her trench coat off her shoulders. They went in for another heated kiss, and Bella backed Edward to the wall.

Edward broke away from the kiss first, panting and stating, "Bella, we can stop if you'd like." Bella looked up at him confused.

"I think I have a good idea where this is going, our attraction for one another is too strong for either of us to handle, and I don't want to pressure you. I'd hate for you to regret it in the morning because you were caught up in the heat of passion. Maybe the wine got to be a bit much for you. Listen, I won't be offended. I like you too much to ever let anything get in the way of starting a relationship with you. I can wait. Maybe we should go on a few dates first, get to know one another better, before we take things further."

It was Bella's turn to place a lone finger on Edward's lips effectively silencing him. He had absolutely no idea just how much she wanted him at this moment, and nothing was going to discourage her now. She wanted to be free of her all her past hang-ups with guys, she wanted to take Alice's advice to heart and open herself up during this trip. She figured giving herself to Edward was exactly in order.

"Edward, I want you. There's nothing more to say about it. So, please shut up and just kiss me." Bella said confidently.

Edward hesitated again, not sure if this was a good thing to do, but he just had to look into Bella's hooded eyes and all his reservations left him. He pulled her in for another heated kiss. His fingers entangled in Bella's long hair, and hers wound around his neck, one hand stroking his hair at the back of his head, her new favorite thing to do when passionately kissing Edward.

Bella then moved her hands down to the collar of his shirt, and loosened the tie that was part of his uniform. She managed to pull it off as Edward moved his kisses from her mouth down her jaw line to her neck, while his long fingers lightly traced circles around her back. Bella's hand moved to unbutton his shirt, and he helped pull the shirt out from his pants where it had been tucked. Once Bella finished the buttons, she opened his shirt and pulled at the fabric to slide it off his shoulders. Bella grabbed hold of Edward's belt loops and walked them backward towards her bunk, as their mouths mated once again.

Edward splayed his hands on Bella's back, laying her gently on her bunk. He gently tugged the zipper down on her dress before pulling it down and off of her body, leaving her in her black strapless bra, matching black lacy bikini panties, and the garter with straps to hold her black stockings up. She looked vulnerable lying on the bunk.

He knelt down at her feet to remove each of her high heels, sensually pulling them off of each of her feet, leaving kisses on her stocking clad feet. He then reached up and unhooked the garter straps and slowly rolled each of her stockings down her legs, while kissing down the length her limbs, sending shivers up Bella's spine.

Once her stockings were removed and discarded on the floor next to her shoes, Edward made a circuit kissing his way back up her legs, on to her navel, up her torso, and then to the valley of her breasts, her peaks still restrained in the cups of her bra. Bella reached behind her to unclasp her bra, freeing her breasts, and threw it on the floor with the rest of her clothes.

Edward took in the sight of Bella gloriously naked before him and he couldn't help but feel lucky that his initial fantasies that came unbidden when she first opened her cabin door to him were coming true. He immediately palmed one of her beautiful peaks, while taking the other into his mouth, sucking at her nipple, causing Bella to arch her back in pleasure. Then he switched, making sure that both of Bella's breasts got equal attention. Bella couldn't help but think that Edward was certainly talented with his mouth.

As Edward hovered over her, Bella took a minute to assess Edward's half-naked body above her. She took in his toned chest with the smattering of hair, his chiseled abs, with the happy trail of hair that led straight into his pants. She worked her hands over the muscles in his back, relishing the feel of him. Edward was bringing her body to the edge of ecstasy with his heated kisses all over her exposed flesh. In turn, she gave open-mouthed kisses to every inch of Edward's body within her reach. They moaned together in pleasure, thoroughly enjoying one another's passion.

Bella needed Edward inside her now, so she began to unbuckle his belt and worked to unbutton his pants and pull down his zipper while Edward kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, also ending up in the heap of clothes that were collecting on the floor. Edward halted her before she could pull his pants and his boxers down. He wanted to make sure once again that this was absolutely what she wanted. She nodded her assent, and Edward reached behind him to grab his wallet in his back pocket. He produced a foil packet, ever prepared for situations just like this with Bella, although he had never had occasion to be use the stored condom until now. Edward gave Bella another heated bout of kissing before pushing off his pants and boxers from his hips and down his legs, eventually kicking them off when they pooled at his ankles.

Bella grabbed the foil packet from Edward's grasp, tore it open, then rolled the condom onto Edward's length. Edward hissed at her touch. He proceeded to pull down Bella's panties, the only offending clothing still left on either one of them, and ran his fingers through her slick folds. She was already wet and ready for him. He inserted a couple of fingers inside her sex, thrusting them in and out, bringing her over the edge, an erotic moan unleashed from her lips. He then lined himself at her entrance before Bella felt the need to halt things.

"Edward," she panted, as she came down from her first orgasm. "I think there's something you should know first before we go any further." Edward quirked a curious eyebrow at Bella. He had given her a couple of chances to stop their progress, and she had to pick this time, when he was hovering above her entrance, to finally express her reservations.

"Oh, its nothing too bad, Edward. At least I don't think so. I still really want you, and I really want this to happen between us. It's just that I think you should know that I've never done this before, at least not with another person. I'm....I'm a virgin, Edward. I might really be bad at this, and I feel like I should just warn you now." Bella confessed and turned her head away, unable to look Edward in his eyes. She didn't know why she chose this moment to share this bit of information, but she just felt that he needed to know. She steeled herself for Edward's possible rejection.

"Oh baby!" Edward said as he began to ravage Bella's mouth. He continued after he broke away, "Bella, that's the most wonderful thing you could ever tell me. Thank you...." Edward spoke in between open-mouth kisses all around Bella's body. "Thank you for trusting me. I promise I'll be gentle, baby. You let me know if ever you're uncomfortable, you need me to slow down, or if I hurt you. I'll be happy to do anything differently. The only thing I care about is giving you the most pleasurable experience, so you've got to communicate with me. Okay, baby?"

"Edward." Bella was taken aback by Edward's response. " So, am I your baby, now?" A grin graced Bella's features as she rather liked that idea.

"Of course, Bella. You don't think I just do this with anyone, do you?" Edward looked at Bella incredulously.

"I should hope not. You don't care if I'm a terrible lover?" Bella responded.

Edward kissed Bella along her neck trying to soothe her worries. "Baby, I doubt that you're bad at anything, least of all this. Your kisses alone drive me wild. Now if you don't mind. How about we shut up, and just give ourselves over to the feeling of making love?" Bella nodded.

They lost themselves in another bout of kissing, while Edward gave soothing touches to Bella to make her relax and feel more comfortable once again. He took a taut nipple into his mouth and again palmed the other, working Bella into a frenzy, while he slowly guided his cock into Bella's entrance. Once they were fully connected, Edward stilled and searched Bella's face to make sure that it wasn't contorted in pain. Besides the slight initial sting as Edward was filling her, she felt amazing connecting with Edward in this way, and she rewarded him by ravaging his mouth once more. Edward started slow and steady, taking special care for Bella's comfort level, and only when Bella encouraged him to go faster did he comply. They were finally able to settle into a nice rhythm, with Bella matching Edward thrust for thrust. They lost themselves in the sensations of their love making, both of them only focused on each other.

Bella could feel her second orgasm building, and she wrapped her legs around Edward in a vice-grip, taking him deeper. In just a couple of thrusts, she reached the heights of ecstasy moaning Edward's name. Edward then grabbed Bella in a tight hold with his arm, changing their position, sitting them up on the bunk without ever disconnecting, and Bella now straddled Edward.

The new position allowed Bella to take control of their actions, and she set her own rhythm and pace. She relished the feeling of being in control and the new sensations she was experiencing in this position. Edward loved the ease of access to her breasts which were conveniently right near his mouth, and the ability to fondle Bella's backside, two of Bella's physical assets he had come to favor.

Bella climaxed a few more times, the waves hitting her one after the other, as Edward continued to move within her before she could come down. Bella's screams were starting to get louder as she got lost in the high of her never-ending orgasm, and so were Edwards groans as he increased the pace since he was close to his own release. In an effort to not disturb the rest of the train any further, they sealed their sounds with heated kisses, devouring one another's mouths. After Bella finally rode out the final wave of her release, and came down, Edward reached his own orgasmic heights, pumping deep within her.

They both immediately mourned the loss when Edward withdrew; discarding the used condom into a nearby trash can, before he laid himself and Bella down on her bunk. It was a bit uncomfortable, as the bunk really wasn't meant to fit two people, it was only the approximate size of a twin bed if not a little smaller. However, they enjoyed the extreme closeness it provided for them as they basked in their post-coital glows.

They only stayed cuddled in her bunk for a few minutes before their passion reignited and Edward's cock was once again ready for action, amazing both Bella and Edward at the rate of recovery. Bella was able to produce another condom from her cosmetics bag in the bathroom, and she silently thanked Alice for insisting that she always remained prepared. Round two was spent sexing on the little set of drawers right by the entrance to the bathroom, with Bella finding purchase on the luggage rack above with her hands, as they were both too insatiable for one another to make it back to her bunk across the room.

Bella came down from another orgasm, thankful that she had the luggage rack to grasp when riding out the wave, as she might have just collapsed from the sheer force of it when it hit her, the movement of the train making their releases more powerful. She exclaimed to Edward, "This gives new definition to riding the rails, baby."

Edward happily responded back, "You bet, baby. The added rhythm of the train makes the sex better." Edward found his second release for the night after saying those words. This discarded condom joined the first one in the trash can, and both made their way over to Bella's bunk to lay down. Equally sated and spent, they both gave themselves over to sleep wrapped in each others' arms, but not before Edward whispered, "Bella, you were absolutely amazing tonight." It put a huge smile on Bella's face, and she closed her eyes with the smile still plastered on. Edward also fell asleep with a huge smile, as if he'd just won the lottery.

~XXXXXX~

Bella awoke with the smile still on her face, but Edward wasn't by her side. He did leave a note, apologizing for not being there when she awoke, because he had to get to work. He also left a tray with a single, perfect red rose, and a bunch of goodies designed to take care of her after their evening of sexual activities. She found pain reliever, a bottle of water and cranberry juice, strawberry scented bath salts, and a very soft bath pouf. He also left instructions for her to use everything, a reminder to put the sheets in the laundry bin so they could be changed out, as there would surely be evidence of their lovemaking, and to be dressed and ready to meet him when they pull into the station in Virginia so he could take her and her friends exploring for the day. It was his gift to her for granting him the honor of giving her precious gift to him.

Bella noticed that before Edward left, he'd taken the time to clean up the room; her discarded clothes from last night were now neatly folded atop the drawers. She blushed as all the memories of last night and all they did together came flooding back to the forefront of her mind. _Gosh, could Edward be any more perfect? He probably learned to be very thorough due to the nature of his job._

Bella did as instructed. Her body ached from the night of exertion, but she wouldn't have changed anything. She wasn't too sore; she just felt that she had a very long workout at the gym, which technically she was working out last night with Edward. The pain reliever and bath really helped, and although she hated the taste of the cranberry juice, she still drank it knowing that it would help abate any future problems that may arise due to all the lovemaking her and Edward did the night before. She wondered how Edward was feeling.

Bella ate brunch with her friends and they surprisingly didn't ask to know all the details of her night with Edward. They just wanted to make sure that she had a great night, was happy, and that Edward was treating her right, for which she answered with a big yes.

Bella was unable to see Edward until it was time for their day out together, which saddened her, but she knew he was probably extremely busy preparing to be gone for a few hours. Her thoughts were confirmed when he finally joined them on the platform in the station clad not in his porter's uniform, but his own clothes-jeans and a tight black short sleeved t-shirt, and while Bella thought Edward looked great in his uniform, she thought he looked even better in his own clothing. Of course, she'd always prefer Edward being naked over any clothes, any day.

The group had a great, fun day together, with Edward playing the perfect tour guide due to all the knowledge he acquired in his job with the railway. Edward fit in effortlessly with her friends. Jasper and Edward became fast buddies, making Alice and Bella ecstatic. By dinnertime, Jasper and Edward were acting as if they had been good buddies since they were kids.

Bella and Edward retired for the night to Edward's cabin this time, and Bella was surprised to find that he had a bigger bed, feeling a bit ashamed that she had made him sleep uncomfortably in her smaller bunk the night before. Needless to say, they made love more comfortably on his bed that night.

The rest of Bella's trip pretty much followed the same pattern. Edward and Bella would spend as much time together as they could, while he still dutifully performed his porter duties. Some days she'd see him often and they were able to enjoy fully being a couple. When the train would pull into a station for a day-trip, Edward would always join them out and they explored the various cities together. Edward ate every meal with Bella and her friends, even if only for a short time, since he still had his job to do and sometimes he'd get paged, or needed to help with some other tasks.

On days he was extremely busy, Bella would occupy her time with her friends. Sometimes Edward would sometimes arrange some activity so Bella wouldn't feel so lonely without him. She really enjoyed it when he had arranged for them to all play Bingo with the senior citizens who played in the leisure car. Bingo was actually a lot of fun, and Bella actually ended up winning a hundred dollars, thanks to the aid of her expert teacher, Marcus.

Edward would always find some way to make it up to Bella for being absent due to his porter duties, even if Bella had repeatedly told him it was unnecessary. She was fascinated and greatly enjoyed learning all about the inner workings of the train and the railway, and felt privileged to see some places on the train that regular passengers never got to see whenever Edward would give her a tour. Bella would forever openly blush when words such as storage and pantry would be mentioned, as the memories of the naughty things her and Edward did in those places on the train would come unbidden to her mind.

Every night was spent making love inside Edward's cabin, as Bella really took a liking to Edward's bed. No matter how tired either of them was, their appetites for one another were insatiable, and so they couldn't avoid it. She thought that she had slept more comfortably on the bunk in her own cabin, but it was nothing compared to sleeping in Edward's bed with Edward beside her. In the morning, if he could, Edward would walk Bella to her cabin, their hands always intertwined, and then leave her at the door, saying goodbye with a kiss to last her until the next, before he went off to be the fuckhawt porter again.

About two and a half weeks into the trip, everyone in Bella's group, became coupled up; Rosalie, Angela, and Eric hooked up with fellow passengers Emmett, Ben, and Randall, who boarded the train in the Midwest, and were coincidentally all coincidentally heading to Seattle just like them. The whole group got along together flawlessly, and the day-trips out got more raucous as the train continued to travel along. Bella became part of the train family since she was Edward's girl, and Bella couldn't help but enjoy the added perks. Bella was thoroughly enjoying her trip; all her troubles dissipated the minute Edward came into her life.

Bella was able to strike up a few friendships with other fellow passengers, including a long-standing date with Marcus at Bingo every Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock until Edward would come collect her. She became very good at playing Bingo.

One night, Bella noticed a group of ladies in one of the cars who seemed to be having more fun than should be allowed on a train. When they weren't dancing on the tables and drinking fine liquor, they were snuggled up in sparkly pink snuggies reading stories on their laptops…every single one of them! She hung out with them a few times and found them to be quite entertaining.

Bella asked Edward more about them. He said there were actually three groups of them and were part of some ORD group…he wasn't sure what ORD meant. They would meet up in the dining car for most of the day, then at night, they went back to their respective cars. Edward said he got pages from them often...one of the ladies in the pink snuggie car keeps ringing a bell and asking for a new pink snuggie! He also noticed that some of the ladies from the other two cars had moved up into their car. Because of this, Edward had more passengers to take care of, but he didn't mind since these ladies were all very nice and great tippers, albeit a bit rowdy on occasion; however, he could handle them.

When they realized that Edward and Bella were together, they would smile slyly. A few of them even congratulated Bella on nabbing the fuckhawt porter and told her to hang onto him tightly because he was definitely a keeper.

Bella and Edward were actually quite sad when they reached Las Vegas where the ORD ladies disembarked. They had kept Bella quite entertained while Edward was busy with his duties.

~XXXXXX~

Edward and Bella were enthralled with one another, and were blissfully happy. During the cross-country trek, they both fell in love with one another. They both could see no other person who was any more perfect for them. Not wanting for their relationship to end when the train pulled into the station in Seattle, they discussed their future plans, albeit heatedly sometimes, but were able to come to a mutual compromise. They would have to endure a minimal separation after Edward leaves Seattle and returns to New York to tie up some of his loose ends, along with his job at the railway, before he makes the permanent move to Seattle to be with Bella.

They got the best news the day before the train pulled into Seattle, as Edward's job transfer came through earlier than expected, permanently basing him in the Seattle area. He would still need to go back to New York, but he could postpone it until Bella is able to join him. There was really not much for him to tie up, having lived most of the last few years on the train with the cross-country assignments that took him away for months at a time. One good thing about the job transfer was that Edward could choose to take only local route assignments, so he wouldn't have to be separated from Bella for too long, the most they would need to endure would be a weekend apart, which they both felt they could handle. They kept this secret from their friends, wanting to spring the surprise on them when the trip ended and they were all finally home.

"Alice will totally freak, baby, when she sees you get off the train at the station tomorrow." Bella stated to Edward while they were in bed together after another intense lovemaking session. Edward nodded wholeheartedly. Alice, in particular, had been acting sympathetically towards Bella the last few days of their trip, thinking that she needed to support Bella because Edward and she would be apart once they arrived home to Seattle.

Both Edward and Bella were glad they had made all the necessary arrangements before disembarking in Seattle the next day, as they were too spent after they'd made love to accomplish anything else but a deep sleep. They knew that they would probably cut it close when they awakened in the morning.

The day finally came when the train pulled into the station in Seattle. This was Bella and her friend's stop, now Edward's stop as well. Their wonderful trip was coming to a close and would become a distant memory. All of Bella's things were packed the day before, and her luggage was ready to be taken by the porter and loaded onto the station platform. Bella was sure that her dad, mom, and step-dad were all awaiting her just inside the station, and eager to meet the young gentleman she had been calling them about. She was also excited to see them, having missed them the whole trip, and couldn't wait for them to meet Edward and have them fall in love with him just like she did.

She double-checked around her cabin once more, making sure she hadn't left anything behind. Satisfied she didn't forget anything, she made her way to the door. Edward would be taking care of things for them in his former quarters. She opened the door, but paused at the entryway, turning back to take in the room once more. She briefly relived all the memories she made in the cabin with Edward, memories that she wouldn't trade for anything in the world, and was all hers to keep. Her time with Edward on the train trip had been one of the best things to come out of her vacation. He had made her forget all the troubles of her past relationships, her insecurities, and she now looked forward to a bright future with him.

With purse in hand, she stepped out, running right into Edward and the porter who was carrying her luggage out onto the platform. Edward was making sure that Bella and his things were properly handled. Before he parted from her, he assured her that everything was taken care of in his quarters and asked her to wait for him out on the platform with the rest of their friends, as he needed to say some last minute goodbyes to people from his train family.

Bella caught Marcus, her Bingo partner, on the way out of the train and gave him a big hug goodbye. Only then did Bella find out that Marcus was a widower who lived alone in an Assisted Living facility just north of Seattle. He planned this cross-country train trip to be his last hurrah before living out the rest of his years quietly in the home, and he was very happy to have had the brief company of a beautiful, young lady such as Bella. They exchanged information and Bella promised to keep in touch with Marcus and even visit on occasion, which brought Marcus more joy.

Bella exited the train and joined her group of friends who had already gathered on the platform. All the couples were connected to each other in some way, holding hands or arms around waists or shoulders, and they all took sight of Bella, alone, as she came down the steps. Bella could see that they were all taking pity on her, evidenced from their expressions, thinking that she'd had to say goodbye to her Edward, and that was why she was last to disembark. They were rather surprised, however, to find that Bella had a huge smile plastered on her face and that she greeted them enthusiastically, thinking that she was trying to put up a brave front. They thought nothing of Bella asking them to wait a bit on the platform before they all collected their bags and went in to the station to greet their awaiting family and friends.

Alice detached herself from Jasper's arms and was the first to talk to Bella. Her expression thoughtful and her voice soft. "Bella, I thought you'd be much sadder today, having the trip end. Angela and I were all prepared for a girl day with chocolate, ice cream, wine, strawberries with Nutella, a marathon of chick flicks, and lots and lots of tissues. We already told Jasper and Ben, and Rosalie may join us if she can spare a moment away from Emmett. It doesn't look like you'll need it, though."

Bella looked incredulously upon her friend. "Alice, why would you think I'd be so sad today and would need a girl day?"

Alice hesitated in broaching the subject, fearing how Bella would react. "Well.......Bella. I...well we" gesturing to all the friends surrounding Bella, "figured that since you had to say goodbye to Edward today that you'd be at least a little sad. We just want you to know that we support you. You don't have to act all brave. We know that it must be hard for you to be apart from him. I mean, we're sure that you guys have made some sort of arrangement, since you guys are so in love, and everything. Oh honey, I'm sure it's just as difficult for him. Come here." Then Alice pulled Bella in for a hug. Bella's huge smile turned into a sly smirk, and the rest of their friends wondered what was going on.

Just then, Edward appeared on the steps of the train, clad in his jeans and plaid shirt, carrying his backpack. It was a poetic entrance as he arrived at just the right time. The friends' mouths were agape, and Alice let go of Bella, to turn around to see what they were all staring at. Edward made his way to Bella, and they both had huge smiles on their faces. He gave Bella a sweet kiss before wrapping his arms around her waist then planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Edward addressed the group, "Hey, thanks for waiting for me, there were some last minute things I needed to take care of before I left. I think the luggage is all there," nodding to the neatly arranged suitcases a few yards away from them on the platform. "So, shall we all get going? I'm sure everyone's anxious to get home."

Bella then remarked, "Edward is the best souvenir I get to take home with me from our trip." She then turned in his arms and planted a heated kiss on her fuckhawt porter's lips.


End file.
